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Of all the household chores, washing the dishes is often the most hated. Our parents forced us to clean up after dinner, and we'd fight over who washed and who dried. Even now, we hold onto that grudge and put off the ever-growing pile in our sinks.
As the adult, we must accept the reality that no one will do tough jobs for us. Proscrinating will only make the job harder once we finally get around to it, so we might as well push through now.
But wait. What if I told you that adding tools like a hanging dish rack and changing our mindset can turn dishwashing into a positive? Instead of dreading dishwashing, we can look forward to it as our favorite task.
How? In this guide, we'll teach you some tips and tricks for making dishwashing a fun activity.
Loving your chores is all about changing your mindset. Instead of thinking of doing dishes as something that must be done, think about it as an opportunity for something else. If that won't work, at least implement some techniques that will help the chore go faster and easier than normal.
Dancing allows our bodies to get rid of all that nervous energy. If we hold stress in our muscles throughout the day, or even if we've just stayed in our office chair for hours, we need to stretch and move around. No one looks forward to chores after a long day, but they can be an opportunity to benefit your body and mind.
Turning on your favorite music can help you get in the zone and have a better mindset for dishwashing. You can bop and groove while you clean and enjoy standing up and using different muscles than you were at work.
You can even turn it into a challenge: Can you get all the dishes done in two songs? In one song?
Don't deny it: we all have that list of podcasts or audiobooks that we've been meaning to listen to but always find an excuse. For those that used to listen during work commutes who now work from home, finding the time for listening can be difficult.
Turn your dishwashing time into more than just a chore. Instead, look at it as an opportunity to catch up on the things you enjoy. Make a point to listen to an episode of a podcast or a chapter of your audiobook while you wash.
Who knows, you might end up creating more dishes so that you have an excuse to listen!
Doing chores might feel like doing the dirty work. It can be difficult and you might even break a sweat. If we think about chores this way, we'll look forward to them just as much as most people look forward to exercising.
For crazy gym enthusiasts out there, I'll spell it out: We don't look forward to it. To turn this around, think of dishwashing as a luxurious experience.
Dishwashing means working with water and cleaners, which can be damaging to the skin. Think of some ways to turn dishwashing into a good thing for your skin.
Ever think about how important it is to stay exfoliated? You're already working with water when you wash dishes, so keep your favorite skin products near the sink.
Buy dish soap that isn't damaging to your skin, and line up your favorite exfoliator, mask, or lotion. Once the dishes are done, you can use them to take care of your arms and hands. You might even leave some great products for your nails and cuticles.
Further, you can add scents to your chore. Drop in a few essential oils into the sink before you activate them with hot water. Suddenly, your kitchen will smell like a spa.
Beyond being positive and rewarding yourself, you can use some methods that will limit the time and effort you invest in dishwashing. It might be hard to believe it, but all these years you were probably washing too much.
If you have dishes that came in contact with solids that weren't oily or animal products, likely, it does not require soap. Give yourself a break and just rinse the dishware instead of going through the entire hot water and soap process.
This goes for measuring cups that measured out dry ingredients and bread bowls, for example.
Brushing off the crumbs, running it under water, and letting it drip dry is a valid way to do the dishes. It'll save you time, effort, and water!
To prevent the chore you hate from becoming a massive job, you can always plan to limit the number of dishes you use. If you're cooking, you don't need a utensil and bowl for every separate step and ingredient. Reuse the tools as much as you can before you throw them in the sink.
If you've used a cup for water and you know you'll need a drink again later, leave the cup out. If you've used a plate for a tidy meal that's left only a few crumbs, why not reuse that plate later for your next meal?
If your kids are the culprit for going through dishes, set the amount of dishware they can use. Dedicate cups to each kid and make them use them for every drink.
Finally, if your sink is getting full, don't be ashamed to use a few paper plates!
We don't want to hear it, but washing dishes as soon as you're done with them can make the chore go much faster and easier. That's because the food you've just eaten is still fresh. Leaving food to dry on dishes will only lead to crusting, which is difficult to remove.
Doing the dishes right away will also leave your sink empty and clean for the next meal. You'll get a sense of accomplishment for having gotten it out of the way. You can even try washing dishes while you're cooking, filling up the time you're waiting for food to finish with a helpful task.
If you can't bring yourself to do the dishes right away, at least implement a method to prevent crusting. Rinse each dish going into the sink immediately, even if you let it sit for a proper washing later.
Or, you can leave a bin of soapy warm water in the sink to drop the dirty plates into. That way, they are kept wet and soap has a chance to break apart any oils and tough foods before you take up a sponge.
Even better, the tools should be making the chore easier, more fun, or both. Don't cheap out on soap that doesn't work well or sponges that don't add anything to your scrubbing.
Think about tools that will help organize your space and create a system for dishwashing as well. Anything to improves the chore will help you think about it as more enjoyable.
Speaking of tools, using a hanging dish drying rack can bring dishwashing to the next level. Some people use their dishwashers as drying racks, but this can confuse clean and dirty dishes. Other people set their dishes out on towels, but this can slow down the drying process.
An over the sink drying rack will give you a dedicated space for your drying dishes and make dishwashing much easier and enjoyable.
The benefits of a hanging dish rack are numerous, but it all comes down to improving your system. As we do chores over and over again daily, we begin to create a repetitive system and find ways of improving the process. Sometimes, we even cut corners because we don't enjoy the chore.
A hanging dish drying rack won't be a way to cut corners. It will be an addition to the chore that makes dishwashing more effective and enjoyable. You'll kick yourself for never having thought to buy a hanging dish rack in the first place.
You'll now have a system for where your just-washed dishes must go as soon as they leave the sink. You won't have to rely on whoever is home to dry them as soon as you're done, and you'll no longer have to hope your dishwasher is empty enough to stack wet dishes on.
As soon as you're done washing, you can pop that dish onto the rack in front of you and move on.
Part of being an expert dishwasher is knowing which dishes can go in the washing machine. Putting certain plastics and wood into the dishwasher, for instance, can ruin this dishware forever. The best hanging dish rack will be your dedicated space for dishes that cannot be in the dishwasher.
While you're washing the dishes, prioritize the dishwasher-friendly ones first. Pull them out and give them a quick rinse to pop in the machine. Once all of those are out of the way, you can start the machine while you focus on the fragile dishware. As you wash the leftover dishes, you can put them on the drying rack while you wait for the machine to finish.
This will save you time and keep your dishwasher-averse dishware separated from the more sturdy dishware. The hanging rack dishes might even be dry and ready to put away before your dishwasher turns off.
Every seasoned dishwasher knows that using the wrong towels when drying can leave fuzz all over the dishware. Even towels marketed as the best dish drying towels betray you with stubborn fuzz.
What's the solution? Drip dry!
By putting your dishes on an over the sink drying rack, you won't have to pull out the dishtowels and worry about the fuzz. You'll completely skip a step of the dish drying process by not needing to dry at all.
Instead, good airflow and gravity will help dry your dishes while you're off doing more enjoyable things.
Finally, show off your favorite dishware rather than letting it all sit in your dishwasher. We all have our favorite mugs or set of plates that we love showing off. In a cute eclectic kitchen, making your dishware visible can add to the style and charm of your home.
A well-designed hanging dish drying rack can help you show off your favorite dishware pieces at the same time as they're airdrying. You can even get creative and add some decorative elements as well. Try adding a hanging plant or a cute candle to burn so that you're kitchen smells and looks like heaven.
Looking for a good spot to put all those spa-worthy skin treatments and essential oils, too? Just use your dish drying rack.
We wish you a happy dishwashing experience, and hope you'll enjoy your new hanging disk rack! Turn on the tunes, shake out the stress, and be smart about making dishwashing a breeze.
Pusdon is your one-stop-shop for all kitchen organizational and functional necessities. Whether you need racks or baskets to improve your task and chores, we're here to help. Shop our dish racks today!
